admin | April 17, 2023
News Brief
Climate change is posing a threat to crops such as maize in Kenya. So farmers like Michael Gichangi are turning to a more resilient crop: millet. Mr. Gichangi launched a business making puffed cereal from millet. He started by buying a $1,000 machine to pop the millet grain, turning it into a popular snack. He sells these snacks at a local market, where they are particularly popular with youth. In the last two years, he has sold about $1,500 worth of the popped grain, and is the first in the district to have one of the machines. The puffed millet offers more than just a tasty snack: it created employment in Embu and, because it can be stored longer, reduced food waste.
Climate change is posing a threat to traditional crops in Kenya, where the staple crop—maize—is not as drought-tolerant as millet. Michael Gichangi is a local farmer who launched a business that he hopes will be resilient: making puffed cereal from millet.
As many households struggle with poverty and food insecurity, made worse by climate change, finding new markets for hardy grains like millet can benefit these households.
Mr. Gichangi started by buying a $1,000 machine to pop the millet grain, turning it into a popular snack. He says: “I started popping millet to produce very delicious snacks, by mixing it with groundnuts, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon powder, and simsim (sesame) oil.” He sells these snacks at a local Embu market, where they are particularly popular with youth.
In the last two years, he has sold about $1,500 worth of the popped grain, and is the first in the district to have one of the machines.
Mr. Gichangi’s project began when he joined a women-led agribusiness group in his village and started buying and selling traditional cereals such as millet, sorghum, and green gram. These are more drought-resilient alternatives to maize.
Millet has always been a traditional crop in Kenya, but lost popularity after maize was promoted by governments, research groups, and multinational companies. But now, due to climate change, more farmers are diversifying their crops to drought-resistant traditional crops.
But finding a ready market for crops like millet—and getting people to resume eating them—can be a challenge. Mr. Gichangi realized he needed to add value to his harvested millet. His idea was the popping machine.
The puffed millet offers more than just a tasty snack: it created employment in Embu and, because it can be stored longer, reduced food waste.
Stella Gathaka used to be a food vendor, but is now an employee of Mr. Gichangi’s small factory. She says earning a salary from her new job allows her children to eat millet snacks, which are more nutritious than the snacks they used to eat.
Mr. Gichangi’s millet snacks are slowly gaining ground on traditional favourites such as sugary wheat biscuits. But, in an effort to convince consumers, Mr. Gichangi is partnering with local schools and agricultural shows to offer his healthier and more climate-resilient snacks.
This story was adapted from an article written by Wesley Langat for Thomson Reuters Trust, titled “Traditional crops puff hopes for climate resilience in Kenya.” To read the full story, go to: https://news.trust.org/item/20200108132724-uchp1
Photo: Workers wash millet in Embu, Kenya, in 2019. Credit Wesley Langat